Portable rig shelter



NOV. 1950 E. w. BROCKMAN ETAL 2,528,721

PORTABLE RIG SHELTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1948 INVENTORS- Jfiuoadfl $7 003 @FZJ W 1950 E. w. BROCKMAN ET AL 2,528,721

' PORTABLE RIG SHELTER I Filed Nov. 6, 1948 2 Sheets-$117M, 2

IN V EN TOR.5

Patented Nov. 7, 1950 PORTABLE. RIG SHELTER Ellwood Wesley Brockman and Carl D. Wagner, Tulsa, Okla.

Application November 6, 1948, Serial No. 58,724

9 Claims.

This invention relates to portable shelters in general and in particular to a collapsible portable shelter for use with a portable drill rig. Portable drilling rigs are often used in drilling for oil or water, or in diverse other drilling applications. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to engage in drilling operations in themost desirable weather, and consequently holes must often be drilled When the sun is bright and hot and the wind dry, and on other occasions the drilling must be done in cold, damp weather, accompanied perhaps by rain or snow.

Previous to this invention it has been necessary for the drill rig operators to be exposed to such inclement weather, or to erect a shack to protect them from the elements. Whereas it may be feasible to set up a shack for permanent installations, it is not economically applicable for the comparatively short time generally spent in one place with a portable drill rig.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention .to present a portable shelter which will protect the operators of a portable drill rig from excessive sunlight as well as from wind, rain, snow or diverse other kinds of inclement weather.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a shelter which is readily portableand in which the parts. need not be disassembled for movement. I

A still further object of this invention is to provide such a shelter which is extremely light Weight and is transported directly on and with the rig.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a portable shelter which is usable with a variety of portable drilling rigs.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a perusal of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: v

Figure 1 is a side view of the shelter in operating position attached to a portable drilling rig;

Figure 2 shows the portable shelter in collapsed position atop the portable drilling rig in position for travel;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the framework of the shelter in open position with the covering material removed;

Figure 4 is'a perspective view of the framework of the portable shelter in collapsed position framework of the portableshelter;

of corner joint in the framework;

Figure 7 is a sectional view of oneform of T- joint in the framework; I

Figure 8 is a top view, partly in section of the pulley mounted on a rig leg above the shelter; and Figure 9 is a partially exploded perspective view of the clamp which connects the shelter to the rig. The shelter generall designated by Figure 2 comprises a framework best seen in Figure 3 including a top Q, back 6, left side or wing 8 and right side or wing l8. ljhe framework in this preferred embodiment is made of tubular material such as steel or aluminum for light weight. The tubular material may be assembled by welding, clamping or by pinning with plugs as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. A cornerjoint is i1- lustrated in Figure 6 in which a horizontal tubular member I2 is joined to a vertical tubular member M by means of a plug 16 having ahorizontally extending stud l8 fitting tightly within the horizontal tubular member I2 and a vertically extending stud 2!} fitting tightly within the vertical tubular member M. A T plug 29 is shown in Figure 7 joining two horizontal tubular members22 and 24, and a vertical tubular member 26 to form a T-joint. A-pair of horizontal studs 28 and 30 each of these examples it may be expedient to pin or rivet the tubing on the plugs for greatest strength. v I

The rectangular left side or wing 8 is fitted with a pair of eyes 34 which fit over a cooperating pair of upwardly bent studs 36 to hingedly connect the left wing or side 8 to the rectangular back 6. A pair of eyes 38 are likewise provided on the rectangular right side or wing to cooperate with the upwardly bent studs All on the backfi to hingedly connect the right wing or side H] to the back 6. It will generally be found advisable to employ pins or other structures to prevent the eyes 34 and 38 from being moved upwardly away fr-om the 'up wardly bent studs 36 and All. A single eye 42 is provided on the front portion of the right side Ill for a purpose to be explained later. A spring 45 is fixed to eye lt on the rear vertical member, of; the left side 8 and ahook 48 is attached to the other. end of the spring Ml. The function of this structure will also be explained presently.

54 extending substantially in a vertical position 'A pairof eyes 50 are fixed to the top of the back 6 of the shelter and members 52 fit through them.* Members 52 consist of red like portions;

from the vertical. 6

size rig legs.

member which when open is in a position tipped slightly from the horizontal with the lower por- 3 tion at the back. To the rear horizontal member a 60 of this L-shaped member are affixed the aforementioned rod like members 52, and an eye 62.,

The purpose of the latter will beexplained shortly. Near the end of'the base of the L is a longitudinal brace 64. Near this brace 64 and parallel to it is a rotatable longitudinal member 66. To this member the clamp 68 is fastened.

; Depending from the L-shaped member are left and right side sections I0 and 12 respectively l which lie in a-substantially vertical plane and a rear member I4 which with the rear member 60 of the L-shaped member forms a planetilted "The clamp 68 as is best seen in Figure 9 is adapted to clampingly engage two substantially perpendicular adjacent pieces. groove I6 in the separable piece 18 and a' semicircular groove 80 in the body piece 82 cooperate to form a circular clamp fitting on the rotatable member 66; The two members 18 and 82 are held in clamping engagement by a pair of nuts and bolts (not shown) which pass througha pair of;transverse opposed holes 84' and 86 in the two 1 pieces 18 and 82 respectively. A pair of semicircular grooves 88 and 90 in the body portion 82 and in the separable portion 92 respectively 1 cooperate to form a circular aperture when the separable portion 92 is held in clamping engagement with the'body member 82 by means of a pair of nuts and bolts passing through transverse holes 94 in the body portion cooperating with the transverse holes (not shown) in the separable A semicircular 52 and'eyes 50 and mayalso reston the ground if it is desired. The left and right sides are supported by the studs and eyes 36 and 34 and 40 and 38 respectively and also restupon the ground.

When it is desired to fold the shelterfor transportation, the left side-8 is first folded in against the back 6. The right side I0 is then folded over the left. side 8 and the hook 48 is placed within the eye 42 to hold the two sides in position; The roof 4 and the sides and back are then folded together to form a flat compact formation easily transported. It is not necessary to detach the shelter in order to do this. After folding the sides, the simplest way to complete the folding is to pull on the end of the wire rope I20 near the pulley I22 by means of a winch and thusraise' the top 4 to a vertical position, Which'pd'ition the back and sides automaticallyassume due to gravity. In the preferred embodiment, however,

it is not necessary to pull on the ropeat all. As the rig I02 is collapsed, the bottom of it moves away from the truck bed and pulls on the end of portion 92. Within the aperture formed by-the I semicircular grooves 88 and 90 are fitted a pair of inserts 96 and 98 which are removable so that different sizes may be used to clamp on different 7 The inserts may be providedwith tapering insidesurfacesif the portable shelterisI 1 to. be usedwith a rig having tapering legs,

" The framework ofthe'portable rig shelter is covered with canvas or aluminum or other light weight material and is supported in roughlythe position shown in Figure 3 when in operating 1 position in the following manner: The :left rear leg I 00 of a portable rig I02 which is mounted on a truck I04 is engaged by the clamp 68, thus supporting the forward edge of the roof 4. A

pulley structure I06 is likewise fixed to this 1 leg I00, though at a suitable distance above the clamp 68. This pulley structure I06 as shown in Figure 8 comprises a U-shaped member I08 7 jyvhich fits around the rig leg I00. A'block H0 1 is fitted over the legs of the U-shaped member and-held tightly against the rig leg I00 by means of nuts II2 threaded onto the endsof the legs of V the U-shaped member I08. It'can readily be, seen thatthis is well adapted for use with'rig legs of different diameters. end of the'U -shaped member extends a loop or 7 eye II4, the plane of this loop being perpendicu- 1lar to the plane of the ll-shaped member 1 08;" mu allowsthe pulley us and its mounting us t pivot-with regards to the rigleg I00. A'wire' rope I20 or the like extends from the eye 62 at the back-ofthe roof 4 over the pulley structure. 106

From the opposite 7 with respect to the drill rig. i I f the wire rope I20. This acts to pull up on the eye 62 and raise'the roof toward 'a position parallel to the rig I02. The positionsof the pulley I22 roof 4 of the shelter-is fiat against the rig" as the rig reaches the horizontal traveling position shown in Figure 2 and the shelter is thus automatically collapsed.

The current invention thus presents a simple, light weight, readily portable, and semiautomatically collapsible shelter for use with a portable drill rig. Whereas unbraced framework has been shown in this illustration for simplicity, it may be necessary to provide bracing if canvas or the like is used as a covering material. 'If light weight sheet. metal is used, the bracing will not be necessary. It should be noted that the use of the rotatable member- 66 obviates the necessity of a bearing surface in the clamp 68. 'As the clamp must be movedback and forth on the member 66 to accommodate differentrigs, such a'bea'ring' surface would necessarily come in contact with dirt and corroded metal andbe in turn corroded. The rotatable'member-fiia, on the contrarydfi fl vides for completely sheltered internalbearin'gs; It is to be further noted that the roof is in the shape'of an L rather than a rectangle sojthat the drill pipe may be pulled out of its rack'on the side of the truck and placed in drilling position. I f

Whereas for purposes of illustration a specific embodiment has been shown, the invention is to be limited only by the appended claims.

We claim: v

1. A collapsible shelter for use in conjunction with a portable drill'rig, said shelter including a roof portion and shelter members pivotally con-- nected thereto and adapted to extend substahtially-vertically'when the shelter is in open p'osition, means pivotally connecting. said roof-portion to said portable drill rig, and support means interconnecting the roof portion with the; drill rig forcollapsing atjleast'one'of said vertically extending portions, and saidroofiportion 2. 'A collapsible shelter for use in conjunction. with a portable drill rig, said shelter comprising a roof, back hingedly connected thereto, :two';

sides inwardly connected to said back, a clamp for pivotally clamping said shelter to said drill rig, and suspension means for supporting and for folding said roof against said drill rig.

3. A collapsible shelter for use in conjunction with a portable drill rig, said shelter comprising a roof structure, a rectangular back hingedly connected to said roof structure, a pair of sides hingedly connected to said back, means for holding said sides flat against said back, clamping means for clamping said roof structure to said portable drill rig, and suspension means for supporting and for folding said roof structure into travelling position.

4. A collapsible shelter for use in conjunction with a portable drill rig, said shelter comprising an L-shaped roof structure with short back and sides depending therefrom, a rectangular back hingedly connected to said L-shaped roof structure, a pair of sides hingedly connected to said back, means for holding said sides flat against said back, clamping means for clamping said L- shaped roof structure to said portable drill rig, and suspension means for supporting and for automatically folding said roof structure into travelling position.

5. A collapsible shelter for use in conjunction with a portable drill rig, said shelter comprising a pivotally connected front frame, side frames, and a top frame whereby said frames may fold into collapsed position with respect to one another, clamping means carried by the top frame for rigidly connecting the front portion of the top frame to the drill rig, and flexible means for connecting the rear portion of the top frame to a portion of the drill rig that lies substantially above the first mentioned connection to the drill rig when the drill rig is in vertical position, said last mentioned means including mechanism for pulling upon said flexible means to cause the automatic collapsing of the pivotal side frames and rear frame with respect to the top frame for transportation purposes.

6. In a collapsible shelter having pivotally connected roof and side portions, an elongated sleeve bearing on said roof portion, a clamp adapted to affix said shelter to a portable drill rig, said clamp having first clamping means slidably adjustable along said sleeve bearing, and second clamping means substantially perpendicular .to said first clamping means and adapted to clamp onto different-sized rig legs so as to facilitate mounting said shelter on a diversity of rigs.

7. In a collapsible shelter for use with a portable drill rig of the type pivotally mounted on a movable support, a roof portion, means for pivotally mounting said roof portion on said drill rig, pulley means adapted to be secured on said drill rig above said roof portion, and elongated flexible support means secured to said roof portion and adapted to be passed over said pulley means and attached to said movable rig support whereby pivoting of said drill rig on said movable support alters the relative lengths of the portions of said flexible support means between said roof portion and said pulley means and between said pulley means and said movable support, to fold said roof portion against said drill rig.

8. A collapsible shelter for use in conjunction with a portable drill rig, said shelter comprising an upper framework of light-weight tubular material, a back frame of light-weight tubular material hingedly connected to said upper framework, a pair of side frames hingedly connected to said back frame, means for holding said side frames flat against said back frame, clamping means for securing said upper framework to said portable drill rig, and suspension means for supporting and for folding said roof structure into travelling position.

9. A collapsible shelter as set forth in claim 8 in which the upper framework and the back and side frames are covered with a light weight sheet material.

' ELLWOOD WESLEY BROCKMAN.

CARL D. WAGNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date a 32,943 Higgins July 30, 1861 326,849 Cole Sept. 22, 1885 1,233,645 Cole July 17, 1917 1,966,023 Will July 10, 1934 

